Drugs boss died after mowing prison grass

Press, 1 October 1983, Page 8

Drugs boss died after mowing prison grass

NZPA-Reuter Newport The New Zealand drugs dealer, Alexander Sinclair, collapsed and died after mowing the lawn in the compound of Parkhurst Prison, an inquest at Newport was told yesterday. The dramatic efforts of prison and medical staff to revive him were described by a fellow prisoner, in handcuffs in the witness-box in the Coroner’s Court at Newport on the Isle of Wight. Sinclair died “fighting for every breath” in the top security wing of the prison, the inquest was told. Sinclair was serving a life sentence for his part in the murder of another leading drugs dealer, Christopher Martin Johnstone, “Mr Asia,” a fellow New Zealander.

He was convicted two years ago and began his sentence at Parkhurst in September, 1981. A Parkhurst prisoner, Sidney Draper, was escorted into the Court by prison

officers, handcuffed to one of them. He told the jury and the Coroner, Mr Keith Chesterton, that he was in the prison compound with Sinclair on August 12. Sinclair, aged 38, had been mowing the lawn. Earlier, the Court had been told by Mr Alfred Jennings, Parkhurst’s third in command, that Sinclair had become unofficial “head gardener.” 1 Draper said it had been a very hot day and Sinclair was “hot and sweaty” when the two men went inside for lunch.

Sinclair had complained of feeling unwell and. returned to his cell. A few minutes later, Draper said: “I heard what sounded to me like choking noises coming from just below my cell, with another voice saying, ‘Take it easy, it’s okay.’ ’’

Draper said he went downstairs-and saw Sinclair lying on the floor with two prison staff kneeling next to him. They said he had collapsed.

“It seemed that he was really choking badly for breath. This went on for a couple of minutes. Then it seemed to me his face did change colour — it took on a sort of bluish tinge. It seemed to me he was fighting for every breath.” Draper said that within minutes medical orderlies and a registered nurse arrived. Then Sinclair appeared to stop breathing. f ‘The registered nurse flicked Terry (Sinclair) on his back and screamed out for the officer to call the doctor. They were all working on Terry together, trying to resuscitate him.” said Draper. Earlier, the Coroner had warned the jury to put out of their minds anything they might have read or heard up to and after Sinclair’s death. “There has been, I am afraid, a certain amount of publicity surrounding this case and the task of erasing everything from your minds is not altogether easy,” he said.